The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday approved a measure pushed by former President Donald Trump that could strip legal protections from more than 532,000 migrants. The ruling allows the termination of the humanitarian parole program, which had granted temporary status to live and work in the country.

With this decision, the high court lifted a federal judge’s order that had blocked efforts to dismantle the program introduced under President Joe Biden. The ruling paves the way for thousands of individuals primarily from Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, and Nicaragua to face expedited deportation proceedings as legal battles continue in lower courts.

The parole program, outlined in U.S. immigration law, allows for temporary entry into the country for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Under the Biden administration, it was used as part of a broader strategy to manage migration flows at the southern border by offering controlled and legal pathways into the U.S.

Spanish version: Suprema Corte respalda a Trump y deja en riesgo a más de 500 mil migrantes

However, Trump moved swiftly to end these permits upon returning to office. On his first day back as president, he signed an executive order calling for their elimination, and the Department of Homeland Security began the formal process to revoke them this past March.

According to the Republican administration, canceling parole permits would streamline the use of “expedited removal” procedures a fast-track system for deporting individuals who are found to be in the country without legal status.

The story made front-page headlines on Friday in major outlets like The Washington Post and The New York Times, both of which warned of the significant humanitarian and political implications of the decision, particularly in a pivotal election year for the future of U.S. immigration policy.